Packs of playing cards, comprising fifty-two cards each denoting a different value of one of four common suits clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades, have a long and ancient history. There have been many proposals in the past for new shapes and kinds of playing cards, for playing different card games, variation of old card games, etc. It is also known to provide a pack of cards in which each individual card represents more than one value, as indicated on its front face.
For example, Canadian Pat. No. 261,488 McCarroll, issued June 8, 1926, shows a pack of cards in which each card has on its front face an inner portion representing one card value, and a perimetric outer portion representing a different card value. The pack thus consists essentially of two decks, each comprising a full deck of fifty two cards, but the total pack only numbering fifty two cards in all. The players elect to play the inner card value or the outer card value, in a card game.
Canadian Pat. No. 151,212 Morrison, issued Apr. 11, 1911, shows a pack of playing cards which resemble dominoes, each card being equatorially split into two zones across its centre, each zone of a card representing a different value, of the same suit.
U.S. Pat. Design No. 222,490 shows a deck of cards which are split into two values across the middle by means of transparent/opaque layers in each half.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,798,672 shows a pack of cards having a diagonal strip dividing them into two areas, but each area represents the same denomination of card.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,693,525 shows a deck of cards which appear to be similar to those in Canadian Patent 261,488 above, with inner and outer zones representing different values. This patent shows the use of eight different suits in a fifty two card pack.
U.S. Pat. Design No. 169,847 shows a pack of cards, each of which has two face values, the card being divided longitudinally down the center. Other examples of split cards are to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 821,781 and U.S. Pat. No. 1,551,761.
None of the above packs of split playing cards has achieved widespread acceptance, despite their apparently offering increased ranges of card playing possibilities. In most cases, the arrangement of the two zones on the split cards of the prior art renders them difficult and confusing to read and play, when held in a normal card hand. Whilst such packs of cards may in fact represent two distinct decks, one comprised of each area of the card faces, their arrangement has rendered it virtually impossible to play a card game using both of such decks at the same time. Moreover, the specific couplings of suit/card values on an individual card have been inappropriate, resulting in a pack of cards which is unsatisfactory in play.